Florida

The birth certificates of American citizens born in Puerto Rico are set to expire July 1, and the government has already started accepting applications for new ones, which will cost $5 for the original and $4 for each additional certificate. The fee will be waived for people 60 or older and veterans. Here's how Puerto Ricans living in Florida or other parts of the U.S. mainland can request their certificates: Online •Online applicants will have to provide an e-mail account and offer payment using a Visa or MasterCard credit card.

Thank you, Florida State. Thank you for saving us from being in a total State of Embarrassment. A complete State of Disarray. In the name of Bobby Bowden, Don Shula, Steve Spurrier, Howard Schnellenberger and Tony Dungy, what happened to the college and pro football teams in this once-proud pigskin peninsula known as the State of Florida? How did we suddenly find ourselves in this bumfuzzled State of Confusion? If not for the defending national champion Seminoles and their No. 1 preseason ranking heading into the 2014 season, Florida would be nothing more than Mississippi with more people and less chickens running around in our front yards.

Gone were the painted, manicured fingernails and the fashionable dark hair. Gone was the tough-edged woman who drove around Pensacola in a Corvette and told bigger-than-life stories about her life, her businesses and her Chanel perfume.Judy Buenoano walked shakily to Florida's electric chair Monday, her head freshly shaved. Guards had covered it with gel - highlighting every bump, every vein - to conduct the electricity better. She wasn't the same person who had boasted that Florida would never execute her. She was, simply, an old, frightened woman.

Animators at Disney-MGM Studios can watch the opening of The Hunchback of Notre Dame with a certain emotional detachment they couldn't enjoy with Pocahontas and other animation premieres of the recent past.That's because artists at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida did only a fraction of the work they had done for other Disney animated features this decade.And besides, these days the local artists are more preoccupied with the demands of a certain Chinese girl than the French adventures of a kindly hunchback.

On Nov. 6, 1850, a young lieutenant arrived at Tampa Bay aboard the transport Kate Hunter. He was already a veteran of the Mexican War, but his greatest fame, and his nickname, would not come for another decade.Thomas Jackson had already achieved some fame during the Mexican-American War, seeing action at Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. Even the commander of the American troops, Winfield Scott, praised Jackson, who was still in his early 20s.After the war, Jackson was assigned to forts in New York, then Florida, where a long-running war with the Indians had been going on.He was stationed briefly at Fort Casey, the headquarters for military operations in Florida, then assigned to a small fort about 30 miles south of Tampa.

Congress approved the largest disaster aid bill in U.S. history Friday, prescribing huge infusions of federal cash to help hurricane-stricken Dade County rebuild.Florida storm victims will have to share the $11.1 billion aid package with those in three other disaster areas, but Gov. Lawton Chiles and other state officials hope at least 80 percent of the money will come their way.President Bush is expected to sign the package early next week, an action that will shift the primary federal role in the effort from the politicians to the bureaucrats.

Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, citing his religious views, has turned down an offer to become Playboy magazine's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.''It's a simple decision,'' said Wuerffel, the son of an Air Force chaplain and an active member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. ''That's not the type of person I am or would like to portray myself as.''Wuerffel, a senior-to-be who finished third in last year's Heisman Trophy balloting, would have appeared in Playboy's September issue along with the magazine's All-American team.

A hot and sunny day is ahead in Central Florida this afternoon, meteorologists say. Today's forecast includes a high near 96 degrees with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms after 1 p.m. The low temperature will be near 75 degrees. twalden@tribune.com , or 407-420-5620

A Palatka police detective who ran for Putnam County sheriff was arrested during a St. Johns County weekend prostitution sting and has resigned, authorities said. Reno Chevelle Fells, 48, resigned from the department Sunday, said Assistant Chief James Griffith of the Palatka Police Department. On Friday, Fells responded to an online posting that was part of the four-night Operation Summer Lovin' that included investigators advertising sex for money, said Cmdr. Chuck Mulligan of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

The fast-expanding Wawa Convenience store chain will start hosting Florida lottery vending machines at Central Florida locations, starting Thursday with a new store in east Orlando. The new store at 14548 E. Colonial Drive, will have a machine operating Thursday morning. Wawa plans to expand the machines to all 59 Florida locations in the Orlando and Tampa markets, including several that are under construction. The store launched in Florida in 2012. The self-serve machines offer Florida Lotto, PowerBall and Mega Millions tickets, among others.

Central Floridians who turn to food pantries for help are often college-educated, part-time or even full-time workers, military veterans or children, a new in-depth study reveals. Nearly half are white. Only 12 percent are homeless. "The stereotype of who needs help should be shattered," said Dave Krepcho, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, whose nonprofit organization participated in the study. "For one thing, the problem - especially in Central Florida - is huge.

Check out festivals and events in October across the state. View events this coming weekend, or view the whole month's offerings by region below: This list is organized by region. Central Florida (including Orlando, Kissimmee, Daytona Beach, Sanford, the Space Coast, Lakeland/Polk and Lake County) Sept. 19 - Nov. 1 (select nights): Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando. In its 24th year, the event is considered one of the world's largest, most elaborate Halloween celebrations.

Central Florida Community Arts, the nonprofit that features a community choir, orchestra and school for children, has a full slate planned for its upcoming season. Productions include cabaret-style concerts, a classical evening, children's shows and a high-energy production of "The Music Man. " For more information on the Orlando-based organization and its events, go to cfcarts.com or call 407-937-1800. • THE MUSIC MAN: Sept. 4-5. Semi-staged version of the classic musical.

Kroger Co. said Tuesday it has found buyers for nine of its Florida Choice supermarkets -- including seven in Central Florida -- and for two of its liquor stores.Kroger, which announced in late July that it was pulling out of Florida by selling its 43 Florida Choice Food & Drug stores and the 39 liquor stores attached to some of them, said Tuesday that three chains already in Central Florida will buy nine of its remaining 19 stores. Terms and details of the purchase agreements were not disclosed.

Authorities have positively identified the body of Leo Walker, a 9-year-old autistic Live Oak boy missing from his North Florida home since early Wednesday. Live Oak Police Chief Buddy Williams told the Times-Union on Sunday that DNA analysis and other investigative resources were used to confirm the boy's identity. Authorities recovered his body from a pond near his home about 10 a.m. Friday. Leo drowned accidentally, Williams said. "While we are saddened by the outcome of this case, we are thankful for the resources provided to our community during this tragedy," said Williams, noting Leo's disappearance sparked an intensive search of the area by volunteers as well as multiple law enforcement agencies.